9th – 12th November 2026
Sikhi
For Hindus this is a New Year festival lasting from one to five days, during which fireworks are set off and lights are hung out. It is a festival of light, coinciding with the darkest night of the lunar month. It is generally associated with Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity, or with the victorious return of Rama and Sita after their exile. Divali marks the beginning of the Indian financial year.
Sikh
The eldest of the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh, Sahibzada Ajit Singh was born at Paunta sahib on 7th January 1687 A.D. Sahibzada Jujhar Singh the second son of the tenth Guru, was born in March 1689 A.D. at Anandpur Punjab. The two were aged 18 yrs and 16 yrs respectively when they achieved martyrdom at Chamkaur Sahib. Because of their heroic deeds at such a young age, Sikhs reverdly call them “Baba”, expressive of their highest regard and respect for these brave sons of the Guru. They underwent training in physical fitness, riding, and use of weapons apart from getting formal and religious (Gurmat) education from competent Sikhs and their father right
from their childhood.
Sahibzada Ajit Singh performed deeds of great courage during various battles that took place around Anandpur Sahib between the forces of Hindu Kings & Muslim rulers on one side & Guru’s forces on the other side.
Under the ablest guidance and leadership of Guru Gobind Singh, the Sikhs started hunting Tigers and other wild animals in the jungles around Anandpur Sahib by learning the use of all sorts of weapons including the latest weapons. Casteless society, i.e., Sikhism raised hopes of equality for all and freedom from tyrant rulers of the time. Ever increasing numbers of Hindus and even Muslims adopting Sikhism, alarmed both Hindu kings of Hill States adjoining Anandpur Sahib, and the Muslim rulers who thought that if Sikhism is allowed to grow at this rate they would not be able to control the oppressed for very long, the Hindu Hill State Kings through persistent complaints alarmed Emperor Aurangzeb about the growing strength and influence of Guru Gobind Singh which according to them could one day endanger the rulers of both Hindu and Muslim communities.
Sikhi
Some acts and deeds are so profound that they change the course of history. One such is the martyrdom of the two younger sons of the tenth master of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The young and innocent boys, Sahibzada (Prince) Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh attained martyrdom on 26 Dece,mber1705, when they were brutally murdered by Wazir Khan the Mughal Governor of Sirhind.
The month of December has a special significance for the Sikh community. It was in this month that the combined forces of the Mughals and the small hill principalities used perfidious deceit to draw out Guru Gobind Singh, his family and followers from the Anandpur Sahib fortress and then sought their destruction. These forces, under Wazir Khan, promised the Guru a safe passage from Anandpur Sahib but attacked them with overwhelming numbers when they came out. along with their grandmother Mata Gurjar Kaur got separated from the main contingent as they left the fort. They were promised refuge by an old retainer named Gangu in his native village Sahedi, but were
handed over to the Sirhind administration of the Mughals, in what can be termed as the worst possible breach of trust and faith.
6th January 2026 (Bakrami Lunar Calendar)
Shiki
This day is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the tenth Guru, who instituted the Five Ks and established the Order of the Khalsa on Vaisakhi (Baisakhi).
Gobind Rai was born on December 22, 1666. His father was Guru Tegh Bahadur, the 9th Guru of Sikhism. In 1675 at the age of nine he became the 10th Guru on his father’s death and was the last of the ten human Gurus of the Sikhs. He was a student of Punjabi, Sanskrit, Brig Bhasha, Arabian, Persian and a number of other languages, and was highly regarded for his wisdom and leadership qualities. Throughout his life he wrote many poems about love, the worship of the Divine, equality and the putting away of superstition and idolatry.
On his birthday, historical lectures are conducted and poems are recited in praise of the Guru. Special dishes that are unique to this occasion are prepared and served during the festivities. Like other anniversaries associated with the lives of the Gurus, the day is referred to as a gurpurb, and is marked by the ending of an akhand path, an unbroken reading of the whole of the Guru Granth Sahib. This lasts for 48 hours.
In April 1699 Gobind Rai established the Order of the Khalsa after which point all initiated Sikh males were given the name Singh (meaning lion), and females the name Kaur (meaning leader) to emphasise equality and to remove caste distinctions. The Guru asked his devotees to bless him with initiation into the Khalsa and became Guru Gobind Singh. The Guru was a military genius, and when other approaches failed, he accepted the use of power and the sword to fight against tyranny in the defence of religious freedom. He fought twelve battles and his four sons were killed in campaigns against Mughal oppression. He instilled a martial spirit into his followers so that they would not fear the persecutions of the Mughal Emperors. He also gave Sikhs the new greeting of ‘Waheguru ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji Ki Fateh’, meaning ‘The Khalsa belongs to God; all victory is the victory of God’.
In 1708 Guru Gobind Singh was assassinated as he attempted to make peace with the Emperor, Bahadur Shah I. He left a great number of writings and his greatest contribution to Sikh tradition is that he instructed his disciples to consider the Guru Granth Sahib (the collection of writings from the previous Gurus), as their eternal Guru, and that this would be the source of the Gurus’ teachings, which would guide all their future decisions.
14th April 2026
Sikhi
The Sikh New Year Festival.
In 1699 CE, on Vaisakhi, the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, founded the Order of the Khalsa. Five men, who later came to be known as the Panj Piare (Five Beloved Ones), were prepared to offer their lives when the Guru asked for volunteers. According to tradition this is when he initiated both these Panj Piare and many others into the Khalsa, with men taking the name ‘Singh’ and women taking the name ‘Kaur’. On this day Sikhs, both young and more mature, are nowadays initiated into the Khalsa by ‘taking amrit‘; in doing so they commit themselves to a discipline that includes daily prayers and the wearing of the external markers of Khalsa identity (the Five Ks). Outside each gurdwara the Nishan Sahib (the Sikh pennant) and its flagpole are taken down, ceremonially bathed and then re-erected.
The formation of the Khalsa, the community of committed Sikhs, was the first step to prepare the Sikh people for the day when there would be no further human Gurus. Instead, after the death of Guru Gobind Singh, as they sought for further guidance and following the Guru’s clear instructions, they came to look for authority in the Guru Granth Sahib, the compilation of the writings of the earlier Gurus, and also in the tenth Guru’s writings in the Dasam Granth.
4th – 6th March 2026
Sikhi
In 1701 Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, introduced this festival at Anandpur in Punjab, India, as an alternative to the Hindu festival of Holi. It included competitive displays of swordsmanship, horsemanship, archery and wrestling, together with displays of weapons and symposia of poetry. It was a colourful occasion, particularly for young Sikhs, and was observed on the day after the Hindu festival of Holi.
It is still celebrated each March in its original format over three days at the Anandpur Sahib Gurdwara. It is nowadays a martial fair, designed by Guru Gobind Singh, to strengthen the Sikh community by carrying out military style training and mock-drills, which are accompanied by religious discussions.
In many countries of the world, wherever Sikh communities are found, Hola Mohalla (or Mahalla, or just Hola) has become an annual festival, also celebrated each March. In the tradition established by Guru Gobind Singh, it follows the Hindu festival of Holi by one day, although sometimes it is celebrated on the same day as Holi. Hola is the masculine form of the feminine sounding name Holi.
The festivities of Hola Mohalla begin by visiting local gurdwaras for early morning prayers. Official gatherings take place where portions of the Guru Granth Sahib are read. Spiritual songs and religious lectures mark the occasion and after the religious ceremonies are over, prasad is distributed among the people.
When the procession sets off, the Panj Pyares walk in front, making visits by arrangement to all the major gurdwaras in the area. Hola Mohalla has become the ideal time to celebrate and also to dedicate oneself to community service, and, as in the Punjab, langars are organised, with local people coming forward to help by providing the raw materials for the cooking the meal, washing the dishes and cleaning the gurdwaras.
In the evening a marked degree of anticipation and excitement takes over, as martial members of the Sikh community (Nihang Sikhs) display their physical strength through daring acts like mock-battles (gatkas), sword-fighting displays, archery, wrestling and exercising on speeding horses. They also splatter coloured powders and liquids on the audience. This is followed by cultural activities including music, dance and poetry programmes and competitions.
The word ‘Mohalla’ is derived from the Arabic root hal (alighting or descending) and is a Punjabi word that implies an organized procession in the form of an army column. This is accompanied by war-drums and standard-bearers, and proceeds to a chosen spot or moves in state from one gurdwara to another. But unlike Holi, when Hindus playfully sprinkle coloured powder, dry or mixed in water, on each other, the Guru made Hola Mohalla an occasion for the Sikhs to demonstrate their martial skills in simulated battles. Although Sikhism today is a peace loving tradition, it is its pride in the events of its past that has led the Indian government recently to accord the celebration the status of a national festival.
16th June 2026
Sikhi
This festival is one of the major Sikh gurpurbs, and as with other gurpurbs, the day is preceded by an akhand path, a continuous reading of the Sikh scriptures. It is observed for several reasons. It marks the day when the fifth Guru was put to death after severe tortures on the orders of the Moghul Emperor, Jehangir. Traditionally, a cooling drink known as a Chabeel is distributed on this day, recalling that the Guru was tortured in the extreme heat of June.
Guru Arjan became the first Sikh martyr, having given his life upholding justice. The Guru lived out the divine message (Gurbani) of conquering death and suffering. He remained fearless in defending the truth, and showed how one can remain steadfast. Guru Arjan said, lived and showed that he could accept Shaheedi (martyrdom) but he would not accept restrictions on individuals being able to practise their faith. He claimed that the way a leader or prophet lives determines the character of the followers of that faith; a Sikh should live in dignity and die with honour, and never tolerate insult or oppression.
The Guru also laid the foundation of the Harmandir Sahib (the Golden Temple) in the middle of the tank (pool) at Amritsar. Many of his followers wanted it to be the tallest building in the new town. Guru Arjan however felt otherwise and reminded his followers that humility should be a great virtue. The temple was therefore built on as low an elevation as possible. To counter the Muslim belief that God’s House is in the west and the Hindu belief that it is in the east where the sun rises, the Harmandir Sahib had entrances on all four sides. Guru Arjan exclaimed; ‘My faith is for the people of all castes and all creeds, from whichever direction they come and to whichever direction they bow.’ To help raise money for these monumental public works projects, the Guru declared that all Sikhs should donate a tenth of their earnings to charity.
Guru Arjan is equally notable for drawing together compositions by the first five Gurus, to which he added hymns by other saints from Hindu and Muslim backgrounds. In this way he compiled the Adi Granth (the Sikh scriptures), and eliminated the inclusion of other false writings put forward by his brother and others, who not only claimed they had material written by the earlier Gurus but also sought to eliminate his favourable references to Hindu and Muslim viewpoints. When complete, the handwritten version of these scriptures was bound and then lodged in the Harmandir Sahib, where the Adi Granth was opened and read every day.
1st September 2026
Sikhi
Amritsar 1604 CE
In 1604 CE, in the place of worship where the Golden Temple now stands, Guru Arjan Dev, the Sikhs’ fifth Guru, installed the Adi Granth, a newly compiled volume of scripture. It consisted of the hymns of the first five Gurus plus those of other Indian and Persian ‘saint-poets’ from the Hindu and Muslim traditions. After the selections were made, the Guru dictated the hymns to Bhai Gurdas, who wrote down the words and music of the Adi Granth. Guru Arjan later suffered a martyr’s death, preferring to save his life rather than make alterations to the hymns, as required by Emperor Jahangir.
Having compiled the Granth, the Guru placed it in the newly-built Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar. He nominated Bhai Buddha as the custodian of the Granth. The Guru bowed before the collection, acknowledging the higher authority of the written words to the personal importance and significance which he possessed as Guru. After this time, he no longer sat at a level above the Granth, but below it. He also instituted daily public worship at the Harmandir Sahib, where the Granth was recited all day long to the accompaniment of stringed musical instruments.
The second version of the Granth was prepared by Guru Gobind Singh in 1706 CE. He dictated the entire Guru Granth Sahib from memory to Bhai Mani Singh, re-editing the Adi Granth to the form in which it is found today. He removed several unauthenticated writings and added four hymns for evening prayers and several from his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur. Otherwise, the Granth was left as it was before in the days of Guru Arjan. Sikhs regard the Guru Granth Sahib as their living Guru – hence the importance of this celebration. Since his day the Guru Granth Sahib consists of 1430 pages and 5864 verses. Its spiritual teachings are referred to as bani or gurbani.
In all gurdwaras and many Sikh homes, the Guru Granth Sahib is read every day. No Sikh ceremony is regarded as complete unless it is performed in the presence of the Granth. Sikhs frequently receive a hukam or divine order through one of the hymns chosen at random from the left hand pages of the Guru Granth Sahib. Similarly, at the end of a service, after the ardas prayers, the Granth is opened at random and a portion is read. On special occasions, the Guru Granth Sahib is recited non-stop from cover to cover by a string of readers. It requires nearly 48 hours to complete the continuous reading, which is known as an akhand path. This can be performed on any important occasion, and is regarded as the highest and noblest ceremony in the Sikh religion.
The Guru Granth Sahib is a remarkable storehouse of spiritual knowledge and teachings which does not prescribe any rites or rituals but stresses meditation on the Name of God. Most of the hymns are addressed to God and often describe the devotee’s condition: his aspirations and yearning, his agony in separation and his longing to be with the Lord. There are no mythological narratives, although God is described in anthropomorphic terms, and the Gurus are not afraid to use the imagery of family relationships to describe the union of God and man. Whether in Temple, Gurdwara or home, the Guru Granth Sahib has become the focal point of all Sikh worship.
8th November 2026
Sikhi
Sikhs celebrate Bandhi Chhor Divas / Divali since Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru, was released from Gwalior prison in Madhya Pradesh on this day in 1619 CE. The day is known as Bandhi Chhor Divas (Prisoner Release Day) because 52 imprisoned princes (Bandhi) were released (Chhor) by him on this day (Divas). It is celebrated in October-November by both Sikhs and Hindus.
The Mughal Emperor Jehangir had long had an antagonistic relationship with this new religious community, now rising within his kingdom – so much so that he had ordered and carried out the execution of Guru Arjun, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs and Guru Hargobind’s predecessor. During the time of the 6th Guru, Sikhism had become the fastest growing religion. Unfortunately, religious leaders and the Emperor became fearful and jealous, so they ordered the Guru to be detained in Gwalior fort in 1612 CE.
Rather than being a sanctuary of tranquility, Gwalior Fort was really a prison where enemies of the state, including a number of Rajput princes were detained. On entering the fort, the Guru was greeted by 52 Indian princes. They had been stripped of their kingdoms my the Emperor and were being ill-treated, with insufficient food and no clear clothes to wear. True to his na ture, the Guru inspired them to join him in daily prayers and did his best to improve their conditions. In time, they came to respect and honour him.
Jahangir was alarmed by the Guru’s popularity in the fort. In addition to this a group of prominent Sikhs campaigned in Delhi to secure his release. Troubled with fearful visions, and the remembrance that Guru Hargoband had once saved his life, the Emperor gave orders for him to be allowed his freedom. But when his release was offered him by the Emperor Jehangir, the Guru rejected the offer unless the 52 imprisoned Hindu princes were also given their freedom. To meet the Emperor’s churlish condition that only those who could hold on to his cloak could leave the prison with him, the Guru had a coat made for himself with long panels to which all 52 could cling. The princes each grasped a panel, 26 on the right and 26 on the left as they left. In this way, the Guru secured the release of all his fellow inmates.
Several days later, when Guru Hargobind reached Amritsar, the Hindu festival of light, Divali, was being celebrated. In their joy at seeing their Guru again, the people lit up the whole city with candles, lights and lamps. After almost four hundred years this tradition continues in Amritsar, and on this day the Harimandir is aglow with thousands of candles and floating lamps, strings of lights decorate the domes, and fireworks burst in the sky. Elsewhere, all around the world, Sikhs commemorate Bandi Chhor Divas, Prisoner Release Day, by lighting hundreds of candles in the evening around the gurdwara, singing shabads composed by Bhai Gurdas in praise of Guru Hargobind, preparing a festive langar, and basking in the spirit of joy, freedom and festivity. It is a festival marked by gifts of new clothes, presents and sweets – a true ‘Festival of Liberation‘.